Energy efficiency impacts the high-end market

Harris Custom Builders is synonymous with Old World home architecture in the greater Barrington communities of Inverness, Barrington, Deer Park and Barrington Hills. Evan Harris, president and founder, has been selling his unique brand of custom homes in those exclusive communities for 48 years.

"I build homes that I would want to live in myself," Harris said. "Each year I build eight to 10 high-end, high-quality homes in the $1 million to $2 million price range with lots of architectural detailing. But we do try to be price conscious and guide our clients with the expertise we have acquired over the years.

"We have learned what works and what doesn't when it comes to luxury homes and we constantly work to keep up on the latest advances."

Harris says his homes, for instance, are very energy efficient.

"We maximize the insulation and install very efficient windows. Then, we do blower tests for air infiltration and our homes pass with flying colors. A score of five (or below) is required and our homes generally score about a 2.4 for air infiltration. So, amazingly, our large homes usually cost less to heat and air-condition than much smaller homes," he said.

While most Harris homes are heated with forced air, some, especially those with pools, are heated and cooled using a geothermal system, Harris said.

"A geothermal system reduces heating and cooling costs dramatically, especially when a homeowner plans to build an indoor or outdoor pool. But there is a high upfront cost with those systems, so not everyone wants to make the investment. But I tell potential buyers that there is a strong payback with a geothermal system. If you have a pool, it generally pays for itself in eight or nine years. If you don't have a pool it pays for itself in 12 years," he said.

Who is your target market?

"Most of our buyers are between 30 and 55 and are moving up to a luxury home. Fifty percent are self-employed, about 30 percent are top-end corporate executives and the remaining 20 percent are professionals like physicians and attorneys."

Where are you currently building?

"We are building on scattered sites all around the Barrington area, but we also have two small subdivisions under construction."

Abbey Woods in Barrington will feature 14 homes on rolling, wooded lots, many of which overlook two natural resources ponds and wetlands. The subdivision will be served by city sewer and water because it was feared that the installation of septic fields would damage nearby trees.

Homes in Abbey Woods will be built of brick, stone or stucco with cedar shake or tile roofs and will be set on lots of between 1.25 and two acres each. A 4,800-square-foot spec home featuring four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two powder rooms, a gourmet kitchen with eating area, great room, library, dining room, walkout basement and four-car garage is scheduled to be built there in 2016. Landscaping will be included with the home, which is expected to list for $1.6 million.

The other subdivision is Geneva Court in Inverness. It consists of three, 1½-acre lots and will feature similar homes to those in Abbey Woods.

"We also have a large inventory of scattered premium properties in exclusive neighborhoods in Barrington Hills and all around the Barrington area. Some are vacant lots and others a ripe for a teardown of an existing older home," Harris said.

What is the best part about being a builder?

"I really enjoy starting from scratch and a designing a home with a client. I like getting insight about each buyer's lifestyle through talking with them and even visiting their current home and meeting the family.

"Once I know them well and understand their needs, construction is easy. I don't need a lot of their time during the ten to 12 months that the home will be under construction.

I also feel a great deal of pride once the house is complete. When my clients are enjoying their problem-free home and they are happy, I experience a great deal of pride in a job well done. I also like being able to go back to a subdivision that I built years ago and see my former clients and converse with them, too. They all bring back good memories."

What are the biggest changes you have seen in the business?

"More buyers today are viewing their purchase as the purchase of their 'forever' home. So they want us to design it so that it remains relevant and they can continue to be comfortable there as they age.

"For the last eight years or so we have installed an elevator in almost every home we have built, for instance. They know that in the future they might get injured and need it. Many also have parents who come to visit for extended periods of time and this way they don't need to put a bedroom on the first floor. Installing an elevator in a home allows the owners much more longevity in their dream house."

Harris said houses with lots of open space, especially between the kitchen and the family room or great room, have also become exceedingly popular during the last decade because buyers want a nice, open view of the entire house.

Finished lower levels and "smart" homes with lots of electronics used to control functions are also hot today.

"We are building more and more smart homes now that fail-safe systems are available in the event that the computer controlling everything goes down," he said.

Are you building anything besides luxury homes?

"We are currently back in the commercial market, building office condominiums ranging in size from 1,600 to 2,000 square feet in Barrington Commerce Center, near the Barrington post office and behind Motorwerks. Interested businesses can lease one or combine several."

Two of the four, two-story, high-end office buildings planned for the center have already been built and they are primarily appealing to small businesses, as well as providers of financial and medical services, he said.

"These offices have very high-end finishes and they appeal to those for whom an impressive, beautiful office is important. There is also plentiful parking."

Where do you see Harris Custom Builders in five years?

"We will still be in the luxury-home market, probably building homes on scattered-site lots where older homes have been torn down because someone wants a particular location or view.

"Our homes fall into the upper 5 (percent) to 8 percent of sales in this market and there will always be people who want these types of luxury homes."

For more information, call (847) 382-2210.